The history of the Sanfearde family name begins after the Norman Conquest of 1066. They lived in Shropshire, although their name is derived from the Old English and translates directly as sandy ford. Such a name would have indicated that the original bearer lived near such a landmark.

Sanfearde Early Origins

The surname Sanfearde was first found in Shropshire at Sandford, where Thomas de Saundford, one of the "companions in arms" of William I was given lands, for his assistance. He is mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086. "Richard de Sanford was certainly seated at Sandford soon after the Conquest, and which has ever since remained their principal seat." [1]CITATION[CLOSE]Shirley, Evelyn Philip, The Noble and Gentle Men of England; The Arms and Descents. Westminster: John Bower Nichols and Sons, 1866, Print. Sandford Hall, near Whitchurch survives today. This county house is thought to have been built between 1700 and 1750 and at the time of writing is up for sale. Thorpe-Salvin in the West Riding of Yorkshire was home to a branch of the family. " It was anciently the property of the Salvin family, and subsequently of the Sandfords, by whom the now ruined Hall was erected about the middle of the 16th century." [2]CITATION[CLOSE]Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.

Sanfearde Spelling Variations

Sanfearde Spelling Variations

Anglo-Norman names tend to be marked by an enormous number of spelling variations. This is largely due to the fact that Old and Middle English lacked any spelling rules when Norman French was introduced in the 11th century. The languages of the English courts at that time were French and Latin. These various languages mixed quite freely in the evolving social milieu. The final element of this mix is that medieval scribes spelled words according to their sounds rather than any definite rules, so a name was often spelled in as many different ways as the number of documents it appeared in. The name was spelled Sandford, Sandiford, Samford, Sanford and others.

Sanfearde Early History

Sanfearde Early History

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Sanfearde research. Another 229 words (16 lines of text) covering the years 1533, 1547, 1555, 1605, 1653, 1653, 1639, 1701, 1680 and 1683 are included under the topic Early Sanfearde History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Sanfearde Early Notables (pre 1700)

Sanfearde Early Notables (pre 1700)

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was John Sandford, English owner of a woolen mill in Stonehouse, county Gloucester, and Mayor of Gloucester in 1533; Thomas Sandford, High Sheriff of Cumberland in 1547 and 1555; Thomas SandfordJohn...

Another 37 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Sanfearde Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Sanfearde In Ireland

Sanfearde In Ireland

Some of the Sanfearde family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. Another 35 words (2 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

The Great Migration

The Great Migration

Because of the political and religious discontent in England, families began to migrate abroad in enormous numbers. Faced with persecution and starvation at home, the open frontiers and generally less oppressive social environment of the New World seemed tantalizing indeed to many English people. The trip was difficult, and not all made it unscathed, but many of those who did get to Canada and the United States made important contributions to the young nations in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers with Sanfearde name or one of its variants: Thomas Sandford, who arrived in Virginia in 1619; Thomas Sandford of Bristol, who arrived in Barbados around 1629, where he became a most prominent and wealthy plantation owner.

Motto

Motto

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

The Sanfearde Family Crest was acquired from the Houseofnames.com archives. The Sanfearde Family Crest was drawn according to heraldic standards based on published blazons. We generally include the oldest published family crest once associated with each surname.